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  • did i hear some queen in the clean sound at the begging?

  • haters :S this guy know many things about guitars :S he plays killer riffs know how to contron distortion pretty cool scale mixes what else for a review dudes? and even if he sucked read what dylanbstringer91 said :S for fuck sake

  • charvel rules :D

  • any diffirences between a usa charvel and japanese? like when he says 'original' floyd are we talking schaller floyds on the usas? Cause I can't decide between a 899 usa so cal thats set up perfectly in the store and a new japan one online for maybe 770

  • JB>Tone Zone

  • Is the so cal rear routed?

  • these guitars are only for one thing and they are great for that one thing but they are not at all versitile they dont even have a tone knob

  • @Mikerockgod3 Its called an "equalizer".

  • dont need a tone man u can use pedals to simulate a tone control and if you bought a fender or gibson for the same price the charvels would kick their ass

  • I definitely prefer the Seymour Duncans over the Dimarzios. The Dimarzios have too much harsh high-end bite, and the SD's have more of that midrange grit and punch I like.

  • @6672rock I feel the complete opposite! tone is subjective I guess ;)

  • i agree m8 seymour duncans have more sustain and im a big fan of slash and he uses them the ones in the charvel r not the exact same as slash,s but still get the job done

  • Paul + whammy bar = hearing loss

  • this guy is god, but MAN....learn to use better sound and channels and stuff....the clean was BARLY clean, and the distortion was mashy and smuthered, thats how all these guitar demo vids are, it almost sounds mashy and staticy for either clean or distortion...

  • I got the San Dimas version, but installed custom custom/alnico II pro. Enjoy it plenty.

  • don't like the black hardware, otherwice I might had bought one

  • Wow, although I'm a gibson guy through, and through, these guitars sound really nice. It would be nice to know what kind of amp he's playing them on, that makes a world of difference. Any decent guitar played through a crappy amp won't sound all that great. Nice playing, I don't care what any of you nay-sayers say. Maybe jealous hmmmm?

  • $900 isnt affordable

  • @PowaOfPink it is when you look at gibsons

  • saving for san dimas one... can't wait!!

  • To be honest, this is the main thing I anticipate with each new GW...seeing what Riario is gonna review this month, and knowing he's gonna put it through the wringer.

  • I am really torn from the Tele style and the SoCal style. Both are great but which sounds better for heavy solo and metal playing?

  • btw, the stuff round 4:20 was awesome, don't understand why everyone says he sucks

  • @givemeajackson Probably because of his picking style. Everyone that believes hand picking has to be perfect are really idiots. I like them to tell that to Marty Friedmen and Joe Satriani. They have very awkard picking style and they play legendary.

  • @tuck234 so, do you wanna say people can dislike martys playing style??? I AM SHOCKED!!!! XD long live marty

  • @tuck234 oh, and the so-cal is better for metal. tonezone has more output than sh4

  • @givemeajackson Sweet! I love the design of the So Cal.

  • @tuck234 do you know if there is a white so-cal? i want something like the adrian smith model, but the original jackson is too expensive XC

  • @givemeajackson Don't know really. But the white Charvels shouldn't be that hard to find since so many of them in that color were made. I would try some local guitar shops since they seem to have a lot of rare guitars in their inventory especially Charvels. Your best bet is ebay man. Thats how I got my ESP Explorer and my Dean Dimebag

  • @givemeajackson There definitely are white So Cals. To be honest I like them more than the Adrian Smith Model. At least the neck feels way better to me.

  • is the fr recessed on the so-cal

  • what kind of amp are u using?

  • Paul I hate you, now I want a Tele so badly!

  • Guitar World Magazine !!!!

  • That color... on the fucking So Cal... is gorgeous. It's so IN YOUR FACE.

  • Excellent fingers. Beautiful guitars! I'll have to get one sometime!

  • I love my san dimas, the only complaint about it is the location of the pickup selector. other than that no complaints.

  • Neck looks comfy

  • Paul rules!!

  • Pretty much like the Slipknot fender strat...

  • @TheMainSteamBoy Actually, they are nothing alike. Jim Root's Telle is Fixed Bridge with EMG active pickups and completely different necks and construction. The San Dimas harkens back to the Kramer and Charvel Superstrats of the 80's Hair Metal scene.

  • @TheMainSteamBoy the only thing that is remotely close is the white with black pickguard so cal, and thats only the looks the guitar its self is nothing like jim roots

  • Dimarzio's beat the crap out of Duncans

  • slash beats the crap out of malmsteen lovers

  • @shredmaster100 ok? What did that have to do with anything? Both of those players play Duncans and both are overrated

  • in my opinion emgs are the best pickups for a strat because they are made for metal the only dimarzio pickups id buy are the hs2 or hs3 for my strat if i wanted to get the yngwie malmsteen sound but i dont like steve vais sound because theres too much treble not enough bass and if you want to make your head blow up watch micael angelo batio speed kills this guy is the guitar god hes got the keys 2 the lamborgini

  • I f*cking love that San Dimas.

  • This guy is a great reviewer.

  • Sounds fairly nice but it's the ugliest thing I have ever seen.

  • @figaz555 It's average looking but it sounds great, also there's way worse :)

  • one of the better videos, eh Paul.

  • The San Dimas guitars sound way better to my ears. Those dimarzio pickups sound horrible.

  • Damn go ahead Paul! I never knew he could shred like that. New respect for the man.

  • first of all, Paul is awesome.  second, what amp is he using?

  • i dunno, maybe its the ound quality, but those guitars sounds like crap :/

  • good job, Paul.

  • Who Care If Paul Sucks Or Not??? These Videos Are Not About Paul!!! They're About The Guitars!!! He's Demostrating What The Guitars Sound Like And What They Can Do!!! If You Don't Like Paul, Then Stop Watching Guitar World Videos!!!

  • Yeah, I can't believe people continue to say Paul sucks or he's gay or something. He knows his stuff about guitars, although I'm sure they brief him on the basics of what to say or the essentials before they film, I'm sure he knows it even on his own after doing this for so long. And, unless you're deaf, he shreds! He plays awesome riffs and solos and does his best to imitate certain styles when the time calls for it. He's a solid representative for Guitar World and I like watching him play.

  • Paul rules!

  • @rocketaxe Yeah that would be a pain, good thing these tend to be setup awesome straight out. I guess if you were planning to put on real thick strings or down tuning it you might need to adjust the neck though. Basically, if you're getting a Charvel you probably want to play in standard tuning anyway.

  • If I ever had a super strat I'd have to have one of those So-Cal Chavels. I'm not a strat fan all that much, but those look absolutely awesome.

  • what does he mean affordable???

  • @peak199 That most high quality US made guitars cost a lot more than the $900-$1100 the charvel costs.

  • @YoOo0oToOo0ob  not what i meant.

  • @peak199 You said "what does he mean affordable???" and I was saying that $900-$1100 is affordable for a guitar that quality.  If you bought something of that quality from Gibson for example it'd be like $2500-$3000. For a full-time musician it wouldn't be too much to spend $1000 for a real high end guitar. You could probably get a nice custom Carvin for that too though.

  • @YoOo0oToOo0ob Sorry,I was joking.

  • @peak199

    Oh, I thought maybe I didn't type my sentence well enough.

  • the one hes holding looks exactly like an ibanez rg550 except it doesn't have a single coil and a different headstock

  • this guys badass at playing, that clean shit he does first htough never sounds good.

  • I want one soooo bad. But until they wise up and make it possible to access the truss rod without completely taking the guitar apart not gonna happen.

  • Why do I think Guitar World's demos always make unjustice to the gear demonstrated? I can't hear any Paul playing clean sound of the So-cal here!

  • This guy reminds me of Steve Zahn

  • I want that dude's job !

  • I want that dude's job !

  • $1,099.99 affordable? LOL...

  • @MultiTimL for an american made guitar, with SD pickups and a floyd that doesn't seem to make problems? yes it is.

  • @saitaro I disagree what makes you think that a guitar made in the USA is just as good as made in Japan for example? I had an old 1992 Charvel Predator that was made in plano TX and it sounded horrible and the tremolo was cheap.

  • well for those type of pickups, it sound incredible yeah that's a pretty good price. Compared to...i dont know, a Les Paul that will go for at-least 3,000$

  • @MultiTimL They are for Custom shop guitars, like Gibsons. They're not THAT cheap, but for custom shop guitars, which usually run from 2-5 grand..

  • @xXNeoShredderXx I could never understand why anybody would pay over 600 for a guitar. The whole uber expensive just because a guitar manufacturers marketing division decides so is annoying. Kids today really get ripped off when they walk into a music store. I just picked up a Fender Squire locally for $130 that sounded as good as my friends Strat. He has been playing them for 25 years and loved the Squire and thinks that Fender rips people off.

  • You get what you pay for, and let me explain why. Certain tonewoods, finishes, construction techniques, all contribute to how much the guitar will eventually cost. And that's not even counting the electronics, or the tremolo system, or lack of. Yes, there are some manufacturers that go crazy with the suggested pricing*coughgibsoncough*, but for some, you really are getting your money's worth. You just have to look into it. That said, tone is subjective, and if it sounds good to you, it is good.

  • @MultiTimL  for that money I'd buy an LTD,Ibanez,or a PRS SE Torero,which is awesome

  • @peak199

    Good Choices I haven't played any of the PRS SE series have you and what did you think?

  • @MultiTimL I recently bought a PRS SE Torero.It is a very,very nice guitar.It's one of the better (or best) $1000. dollar guitars I have played,and I have been lucky enough to play most(for metal/hard rock). The quality,looks,feel,sound,and playability are awesome.I am used to Upper level LTD's and ESP guitars.This is close.I did notice the EMG 81 in the bridge sounds slightly more ''tame'' than other guitars because of the neck thru. But it is definitely the best SE.I highly recommend to try 1.

  • Has anybody played both the So-Cal and the new Fender EVH Wolfgang? I'm wondering how the pickups and frets compare, cause on the Wolfgang the frets felt so good and small.

  • I don't know if paul meant to make the guitar sound the way he did but it sounded obnoxious and resembled the tone of old school acdc which to me is just unbearable even though i know some people would be okay with this. It sounds like a very rock oriented guitar that would be great for music from the late 80's and anything prior to that. I know someone could make this sound great for themselves but I would like to try this company and it's other models. Btw paul may be stale but he plays well!

  • 1. This guy is a superb guitar player. If you cannot hear that it's not his fault, it's merely that you do not know the difference between skilled playing and that crap you call music. May you soon learn.

    2. This is one of the best guitar demo vids on Youtube. Not perfect, but damn close. If you're complaining about this then you really do have problems with your expectations. This is as good as it gets.

    3. Big thanks to the creator for this vid. Just bought a San DImas 2 today. We'll see. :)

  • @musiccalgary LMFAO THIS DUDE SUCKS YOU DUMB FUCK

  • @musiccalgary He actually isnt that good, I bet I could play a bunch of 80's rock songs better than him.

  • @SlipperywhenBlake Naw, that's just your malformed ego combined with your marginal skill telling you that. In reality if you tried it would be sad because you lack what it takes.

  • @musiccalgary Yeah, well Fuck You.

  • @musiccalgary If you think this is superb guitar playing you obviously cant play classic rock such as Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Eric Clpaton, Santana, Aerosmith, etc.....and you obviously have not been playing for years and years and years. Cause if you have, you would know that this guy isn't exactly the best.

  • watch the german review of the san dimas style 1 2h r tan the shop worker playing it in the video kicks everyones ass

  • @musiccalgary luv his reviews.

  • this guy is great iwatch all his reveiws nd i learn tons of new lick from watching him

  • those guitars are so dang heavy

  • I played a new Charvel in a store, and the thing is rock solid and just plays itself. Also, I don't mind having to remove the neck to make adjustments. You'd only do it a couple times a year, and if you're worth your salt as a player, it should be a simple adjustment.

  • @organs IF YOU COULD PICK ONE PICK UP, STRICTLY...FOR SINGING LEAD WORK...WHAT WOULD YOU GO FOR?

    EMG 81

    SEYMOUR JB

    DIMARZIO EVO 2

    OR OTHER...

    THANKS

  • @novanine9 Geez, what's with the all caps? Anyways, I'd probably go with a Seymour JB or DiMarzio Evo 2. Something bright and punchy, but not too bass-heavy and not too overpowered. Actually, in an alder body, I might go for a DiMarzio Tone Zone because the alder will provide a lot of midrange bite by itself.

  • @novanine9 Seamour Duncan Screamin' Deamon...

  • for $1000 these seem like nice guitars,but with all of the hassle it would take to make small adjustments to the neck and floyd I think a highway one for $600ish or mid level ibanez with whatever pickups you want and locking tuners,graphtec supercharger etc....would be much better,unless you want specifically a charvel.

  • FUCK why is this guy so damn good at guitar the only reason i watch these videos is because i wanna see paul play haha

  • it a cool pick up trust me I play old school metal and trash with it and i find it cool

  • He uses his pinky when doing the solo...he just moves it out of the way when he doesn't use it.

  • why is it that whenever someone reviews a seymour duncan JB, they never let us hear what it can do in heavy metal settings?

  • Very, very nice! Original Floyd Rose, American made! Wow!

  • 3 things I found out on this guitar,

    1. You need to take out the neck for adjustments

    2. Floyd rose has no cavity, no dimebag squeals for you. lol

    3. Only a gig bag. For that price I expect at least a cheapo hard case.

  • What are you talking about? You better watch the video again. This guy is pretty good.

  • @screamandfly Yeah! Like, I can understand people being annoyed a bit from the fact he talks more than he plays..but he's a VERY versatile guitarist..he can review anything from this guitar to Chuck Schuldiner's BC Rich signature..I personally look forward to his videos!

  • @screamandfly agreed. anyone that is talking shit about his playing, had better post a vid. im sick of douche bags talking shit, with no vids.

  • @680540 For the hardware and what it is, and being made in America, thats a pretty damn good deal.

  • You're right but you can find some good guitars with a Floyd Rose and Seymour Duncan pickups.

    Okay,so it's cheaper than other guitars,but in my book it's way too expensive.I'd like to have one though. :D

  • amen

  • I have a Charvel LS III, with some mods, phase/taps, and a Tone Zone at the Bridge. Mahagony here, though. Lacks the sustain. I would love to have San Dimas but with the setup of a SoCal! Oh, and Maple boards rule on these!

  • the red one with the pickguard is fuckin sweet!

  • Nice guitars....... HOW MUCH?

  • Eleven hundred or so

  • God that color on the So Cal is fucking SWEET. God damn.

  • is the neck on these thicker than that of a jackson dk2m?

  • @rocknrolla12992 yes jackson dk2m is really thin neck i have one lol

  • Ooh.. Dimarzio evo.... 5/5

  • not enough low-end. Could be all the alder and maple tho. a mahoghany body would give it the punch.

  • i dont know about the production line, but their custom shop guitars have plenty of low end. It might just be the youtube quality.

  • Could be amp-settings too.

  • It's just Paul, that dude uses CRAZY amounts of treble.

    But I thought on the higher gain settings there was plenty of low end, especially on the Style 2

  • @oilpit He uses so much treble because in a band situation, that is the only way the guitar cuts through.

  • I beg to differ, it's true that treble does help a lot to cut through. But the real thing that makes a guitar stand out in a band is midrange, mids are the frequency that guitar adds to a band, therefor that is what cuts through, too much treble and it will just mush with the cymbals.

  • Actually, midrange is what makes you cut through.

  • Nah Mahogany sounds too beefy

    Alder is better cause its more well rounded imo

  • I have a Ibanez Rg5ex1 and the Edge III trem. gave me absolute hell, would the So-Cal`s Orginal Floyd be easier to setup and maintain? Thanks

  • it would be a lot easier because these floyds arent floating. WHile you can't do dime squeals and shit like that, it makes the guitar super easy to string and it doesnt throw everything off when you switch tunings.

    i have heard that they started setting up the newest product line models to have the floyd at an angle so it floats slightly, but you can set it up like the other ones in about 5 minutes.

  • Yes, both because it is a much better trem, but also because as opposed to the Edge 3 being full floating. The trem on the Charvel is dive-only

  • Why does Charvel use alder?

  • Why would they not?

  • Compare the med gain of the dimarzio's at 3:09 and the med gain of the sd's at 7:26.

    Then compare the high gain for solos for the dimar. at 4:22 and the sd's at 8:36.

    not sure what i like better. maybe the dimarzio's, which shocks me to say cuz i'm a duncan fan, but man i don't like that pickguard. it makes it look cheap.

  • @maskedmillionaire played them both yesterday through a ÷13 amp (amazing plexi master volume amp) - dimarzios win, at least in this guitar. more personality and character, though you could argue the Duncans are clearer, with more bass.

    the pickguard is an easy swap - white pearl looks really nice on the orange So Cals

  • duncan are better for metal

  • Much FATTER, and more dynamic with the Duncans. Could be the lack of the pick guard route, and more wood mass . Also the pick ups are not mounted on a plastic guard. Duncans IMO sound more musical. I like the sound of the Seymour Duncan equipped Charvels way more.

  • more musical, what do you mean

  • @jordanomeara fuck you iron maiden kicks ass

  • @jordanomeara calm down, lol, why are you getting so mad over someone elses music preference?

  • medium gain part with the guitar would be perfect for AC/DC songs

  • totally agree :)

  • thanks

  • texasranga. . agreed! Thanks, Kirk

  • I don't really understand how we can buy theses guitars. I mean, I Iive in Canada how can I get one.?? I don't understand how their website works. Can someone help me.

  • Try going to Long & Mcquades...they sell charvels...i'm getting on next month and i live in Ont Canada!

  • Try looking for Charvel guitars on ebay, they're all over there at regular prices and probably ship to Canada. Good luck, these guitars look like fun!

  • I don´t know if I will buy a San Dimas, or So-Cal. I prefer a So-Cal, but with those Seymour Duncan pickups. I like the pickguard on my Strat guitars, could be nice if Charvel have the option to buy a San Dimas with DiMarzio, or So-Cal with Seymour Duncan...without spending TONS of bucks with a Custom shop guitar, hehe.

    Anyway...they are SO cool guitars!

  • the one with the pickguard is the real guitar for playin Iron maiden IMHO

  • Hi I'm currently playing american strat and i'm looking for a great shred guitar and was thinking of buying this. Does anybody know If I should get this or should I buy a Jackson or similar?

  • can the tremolo on these be pulled back aswell as pushed down??

  • i'm pretty sure that they can't

  • You can back off the spring tension so that the trem tilts forward a little and then you can pull up

  • This dude SHREDS!!!

  • Paul can play anything. . notice how (when he pics fast) he uses his arm as much as his wrist. . which is a bit unconventional?  Am I seeing this right?

  • @74LesPaul When I pick as fast as I can, I lock my wrist and begin rapidly convulsing my arm, which allows me to pick much faster than with my wrist. I don't know if he does that but it works for me.

  • the body is like an ibanez rg series i bet that guitar is good in sustaining notes

  • I like the way you pick. . it breaks convention. All the guitar teachers I have had or been exposed to through the years emphasize the use of your wrist while keeping your arm straight. But, there are a lot of excellent players (like yourself) who prove that one way is not the right way for everyone. I too like to use my arm and wrist together.

  • In something as expressive as playing a guitar, it is extremely rare that one certain technique is being used. You can't teach everything- I've never payed attention to how i pick, I guess, I just do what feels right, which is what everybody who plays this instrument should do.

  • do you think that these guitars are suitable for thrash metal such exodus, anthrax and so on?

  • definetly!!!

  • Holy Shit. The color on the So-Cal is fucking intense.

  • what about the power? is pick ups high enough to do something really heavy such as exodus, metallica, antrhax and so on

  • Anyone could tell me if the floyd rose on these guitars is the original one? and if stays perfectly in tune?? thx

  • it easily stays in tune

  • I played one today at guitar center for the first time- the So Cal model in red.

    I never realized how good this guy was. I see him in all the Guitar World test videos, but he always plays the corniest riffs- until now lol. He shreds!

  • Comment removed

  • Affordable?!these things are over a grand,fuck i want one!!!

  • is the floyd original??? i don t think so

  • it is:d i got one after seeing it reviewed.D he actually states it in the vid as well

  • yes it is!!!

  • I have one in Candy Green. Fuckin great guitar. The DiMarzio Evoluton in in the neck is really good for leads,high gain riffs, and tight cleans. The Tone Zone in the bridge is great for smooth cleans and beefy rhythms. The Tone Zone also creates glassy leads too. Awesome guitar. Love the pickups.

  • Which would work better in the neck, Paf Pro or Air Norton?

  • Reliable?

  • ive got a jackson with emgs its perfect great sound fast wide neck great tremolo

  • Shawn Lane used to play on charvels lol

  • The riff he plays around 4:00 - is that from a known song?